Deals give team payroll flexibility

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As the Astros tear down the big league roster to add prospects this month with an eye toward the middle of the decade and beyond, there is still something of an eye toward 2013.

“One of the benefits of some of the trades we’ve made in addition to getting prospects is that we’ve given ourselves some more freedom next year by freeing up some payroll space that allows us to use that to get the free-agent pieces we want to get,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “We’re going to be able to use that freedom to more effectively help the club next year immediately than we would have.”

Yes, the Astros had to eat good portions of the contracts of Carlos Lee and Brett Myers, but there is relief in the case of Myers, who had a vesting option for next season. Also, J.A. Happ, who is making $2.35 million, was going to be due an arbitration raise had the Astros tendered him a contract.

Like Lee and Brandon Lyon, Francisco Cordero has a contract that is up at season’s end — that was just one year, $4.5 million.
Luhnow didn’t mention specifics of next year’s budget but did say not to expect the Astros to be diving into the deep end of the free-agency pool.

“We’ve looked at what the free agent market looks like, but it’s too early to really focus on that,” Luhnow said. “We still have August and September to go to evaluate what we have in-house and then figure out where we can get the most bang for the buck in the offseason.

“I’m not saying we’re going to be out there bidding on the big-name, big-dollar free agents, but we will be active.”

Luhnow also reiterated that with July’s focus on trades, August could be a time for some roster shuffling.

Castro, Lowrie work on return
Jason Castro and Jed Lowrie rejoined the Astros upon their coming home Monday, and while little has changed with Lowrie, who is in a leg brace, Castro sounded very optimistic.

Castro’s return is still unknown but a decent way in the future as he’s undergone physical therapy since having his surgically repaired knee drained last week.

“Pretty much immediately after having it drained, obviously there was some numbing medication in there, so that didn’t go away for a few days. But since then, it’s felt really good,” Castro said.

The next step could be an increase in his baseball workload, and with the time he’s missed, a rehab assignment appears likely when he’s ready.

Lowrie has been doing exercises trying to stay away from his knee, which took some of the blow of a collision at second base that also damaged his ankle and a lower leg nerve.

Francisco gets his second start
With no lefthanded pitchers on the near horizon to face, Ben Francisco made his second start with the Astros on Monday against Reds righthander Mat Latos.

“I wanted to get him in there and get him going,” manager Brad Mills said. “We need to get him some at-bats — righthanders, lefthanders. … I want to try to stay away from labeling this guy as just playing against lefties.”

Francisco has experience as a platoon player, having split time with lefthanded hitter Raul Ibanez with the Phillies, and he started Saturday’s game against Diamondbacks lefty Wade Miley. Both he and Justin Maxwell were in the lineup Monday in a departure from Brad Mills’ usual affinity for handedness matchups.

Francisco went 2-for-4 before getting pulled in a double-switch to improve to 3-for-10 since coming over in the 10-player trade with the Blue Jays.